Oncogenetics

The medical genetics department at the CHUM was set up in 2000 by Dr. Pavel Hamet. The team consists of a medical geneticist, genetic counsellors and a psychotherapist, working closely with physicians from various other specialties.

The genetic counsellor draws up a family tree for the patient, determining each person’s risk factor and suggesting that members of the family be tested. If the family lives at some distance from our centre, the counsellor will send them to the nearest genetics clinic, which will then forward the results to us once the patient decides to have the test performed and gives permission to have his or her results transferred.

There are several centres in Quebec and the rest of Canada that offer medical genetics services. Sometimes family members of a person who has been sent to our clinic express an interest or are in turn asked to undergo a genetic assessment. Since these people don’t necessarily live in the same region, we work closely with various medical genetics clinics across Canada. To find the clinic that’s closest to you, we suggest that you check the list on the website of the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors.